Contemporary witness talk on the renaming and renaming of Chemnitz
Wednesday, 2 May, 5 to 7.15 p.m., in the TIETZ event hall
Next Wednesday, 2 May, from 5 to 7.15 p.m., a discussion with contemporary witnesses on the topic of "Renaming and renaming the city of Chemnitz" will take place in the TIETZ event hall. The occasion is the 875th anniversary celebrations and the fact that 10 May 2018 marks the 65th anniversary of the renaming of Chemnitz to Karl-Marx-Stadt by order of the state government at the time. Admission is free of charge. This event is a cooperation between the Mayor's Office of the City of Chemnitz and the Chemnitz Adult Education Centre.
The old name of the city, which had existed since the 13th century, was to disappear. The "founder of scientific socialism" was now to be the namesake. On 1 June 1990, thanks to the remarkable energy of a citizens' initiative and following a democratic voting process, the city was given back its original name. Many questions still arise today: What did the ordered renaming mean for the identity of the city and its citizens? Are the renaming and renaming back symptomatic of the political spirit of the time? Did the renaming order in 1953 already galvanise the will of the citizens to rename the city?
In this event, the events will be re-examined using excerpts from the feature "Two Names - One City" and interviews with contemporary witnesses from 1953 and 1990. Heiner Matthes and Claus Modaleck have been invited as contemporary witnesses.
Information and registration on 0371 4884343 / www.vhs-chemnitz.de